Double Peacock Dinner Service facts for kids
The Double Peacock Service is a special type of Chinese export porcelain. It's a beautiful set of dishes and other items made in China during the 1700s. These pieces were created for people in Europe and sold by trading companies. It's a great example of the fancy dinnerware China made for Europe back then.
Contents
What is the Double Peacock Service?
Estimates suggest that around 20,000 pieces of this "Peacock Service" were made between 1750 and 1795. Today, about 5,000 pieces still exist around the world. This special pattern is very popular with collectors in Brazil, Portugal, and England. You can find pieces in many museums too!
The Unique Design
The plates often have eight sides or a fancy rococo shape. Later ones were simply round. They are made of white porcelain and decorated with bright colors called "Famille Rose" style.
The border of each piece has four branches that look like a cross. The edge is a reddish-brown color, mixed with cool blue branch designs. In the middle, you'll see two peacocks standing on rocks. There's also a branch with big, colorful peonies. A special fleur-de-lis pattern separates the center from the border.
Besides plates, many other items were made. These include soup tureens, pots, gravy boats, and different shaped platters. There were also butter tubs, honey and salt dishes, wine-coolers, and bowls.
The service is called "Peacock Service" because its main decoration is two peacocks on rocks.
Expert Opinion
An expert named Almeida Santos wrote about this service. He said the Double Peacock Service is one of the finest examples of the "Famille Rose" style. It was definitely made for Europe. He also noted that the peacocks are very well designed. The china combines features of both "Famille Verte" and "Famille Rose" styles. It has large roses, which makes it "Famille Rose." But its overall look, with landscapes and birds, is like "Famille Verte."
A Traveling Service
This service is known as a "traveler" because of its journey. It went from China to Portugal. Then, it traveled from Portugal to Brazil. This happened when John VI, who was then a prince, moved to Rio de Janeiro. He went there with his mother, Queen Mary I, because of troubles in Europe. In Brazil, the service was used in the royal palace.
Where are the Pieces Now?
After Brazil became a republic, the Chinese porcelain services used by the royal family were spread out. This makes them very rare and sought after by collectors worldwide. Today, pieces are often sold by major auction houses in Europe and the United States. You can find many pieces that have been sold by famous auctioneers like Sotheby's, Bonham's, and Christie's].
Pieces of this service are also part of museum collections. You can see them at the Nathaniel Russell House Museum in the United States. They are also at the Historical National Museum of Brazil and the Ema Klabin Foundation.
Many other "double peacock" patterns were made later, inspired by this one. But this specific pattern is often known as King John VI's dinner service. An expert named Jorge Veiga wrote about this service in his book "Chinese Export Porcelain in Private Brazilian Collections". He identified five different patterns that collectors value highly.
